KEY POINTS:
The year did not begin well for Britney Spears, the one-time princess of pop.
On January 3, after she had not slept for four days and at the end of a period of intense personal turmoil, the police were called to her Malibu home.
Spears had hysterically refused to hand over her children to aides of ex-husband Kevin Federline - who had custody of them - and was strapped to a gurney and hauled out of her house. She was driven to a psychiatric ward, trailed by a parade of paparazzi. The entire scene was broadcast on TV.
To many, that shocking incident seemed to spell the end of a career that had once dominated pop music. Others worried it could foreshadow something worse, predicting that Spears could join the roster of rock casualties.
But, as this year draws to a close, Spears has stunned many by riding the wave of one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of pop music: she has a critically praised new album; is poised to launch a new tour; is giving interviews; and appears healthy. "Yes she can! Britney returns" blared music bible Rolling Stone, which put her on the cover two weeks ago.
Yet behind the good news of a career back on track is the controlling hand of the pop star's father, Jamie Spears.
The former chef and building contractor now controls almost every aspect of Spears' life and multimillion-dollar fortune.
He has been given legal control over his daughter, who is now in a state of "conservatorship" with few powers to spend her own money, see people outside her inner circle or choose how she lives her life.
It is a situation that has some Britney-watchers wondering at what price her new success has come and what the real motivation behind her career's relaunch might be. It might be less about the rebirth of a pop megastar or a daughter's return to mental health, than the desperate need to keep the cash flowing into the Spears family coffers.
"Some people worry that Britney's family are using her for all the wrong reasons," said Michelle Lee, editor of celebrity magazine In Touch Weekly.
Last week Spears celebrated her 27th birthday in Manhattan. At a swanky party held in the Tenjune nightclub, she appeared in a revealing dress that instantly set cameras flashing. It marked another milestone in a young life that nevertheless feels as if it has contained a very long career.
The "old Britney" might have used the occasion for out-of-control partying, generating a slew of bad headlines, but instead the scene was sedate. Spears was kept inside the VIP room, away from most of the guests.
Yet, there seems little doubt the relaunch of Spears is working. Aside from Rolling Stone, her face has stared out from other American magazine covers in the past month. She has topped the Yahoo list of terms most searched for on the internet.
In others words, Spears' life is back to "normal", as far as that can be applied to a globally famous pop star. Looking trim again and giving interviews - including a highly regarded MTV documentary in which she talked frankly about her experiences of the past few years - she also has a hit single, Womanizer, and her new album Circus is being hailed as her best for years. She is preparing to embark on a tour to promote the album - one of the most eagerly awaited musical events of 2009. She also seems to have won back her place in American hearts.
"People are cheering her on," said Mary Beth McGee, who writes top celebrity blog INF Daily. "The public really do want to see her do well."
McGee believes Spears needed her father's firm hand to save herself and her career.
"The fact Jamie Spears both controlled her estate and had her on lockdown is what really made the whole healing process happen," McGee said.
But there is little doubt that the nature of Jamie's role in his daughter's life is raising unsettling questions about what sort of control is needed to save Spears from herself.
Under the conservatorship - which Britney had fought unsuccessfully in the courts - she does not have much more control over her life than a child star does.
Reports claim she does not drive her own car and her phone calls are monitored. Her dates are chaperoned and carefully screened.
Her media interviews are micro-managed to the nth degree.
Jamie also recently won a court decision making the conservatorship permanent. That means he could end up in total control of his daughter until the day he dies.
Fatherly love undoubtedly plays a huge role in his involvement - but there are clear financial reasons, too. Spears is one of the biggest brand names ever to have emerged in music and she is a brand every bit as much as she is a person. She has sold 83 million records worldwide in her decade-old career - making her the eighth-best-selling female artist in American history, and has long been the main source of income for most of her family.
The conservatorship of her father may keep her on the tracks, but does it make her happy? Or more normal?
In the recent MTV documentary Spears tearfully confessed to being "sad", despite her newfound success.
"She feels in a prison. She has no control over anything," said Lee.
Fame, it seems, still comes at a high price.
FAST, FURIOUS LIFE IN SPOTLIGHT
The rise, fall and rise again of Britney Spears
December 2, 1981 Britney Jean Spears is born in McComb, Mississippi.
January 1999 The release of her debut album, ... Baby One More Time, the eponymous single of which is a US No 1 hit.
August 2003 Madonna and Spears kiss open-mouthed during a performance of Like a Virgin at the MTV Music Video Awards.
January 2004 Spears marries childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. It is annulled 55 hours later.
September 2004 Spears marries dancer Kevin Federline.
January 2007 Spears shaves off her hair in front of the paparazzi in Los Angeles.
July 2007 Spears and Federline divorce.
October 2007 Spears is ordered to surrender custody of her children to Federline.
January 2008 Sole legal and physical custody of their two children is awarded to Federline.
February 2008 A Superior Court commissioner places Spears and her estate under temporary conservatorship a day after the pop star is taken to a psychiatric hospital.
October 2008 Spears tops the US charts with Womanizer.
November 2008 Britney is named best international pop star at an awards ceremony in Germany. She makes her first UK television appearance for four years singing Womanizer on The X Factor.
December 2008 Spears releases her sixth studio album, Circus.
- OBSERVER
